SCRAPPING the controversial tax on gas guzzling cars will cost Richmond Council an estimated £430,000, it has emerged.

Plans to ditch emissions-based charging for parking permits, introduced by the Lib Dems in 2007, were approved by cabinet on Monday (July 12).

The Conservatives want to replace the scheme, under which drivers pay between nothing and £300 a year depending on the CO2 emissions of their vehicles, with a flat-rate system.

They claim there is no evidence the existing scheme has persuaded drivers to switch to greener cars. They also say it is unfair because it fails to penalise wealthier residents with their own driveways.

Council leader Nicholas True said: "The CPZ tax was fundamentally unfair. It penalised many of our residents, in some cases very significantly, for past choices even where families needed a large car or could simply not afford to a newer, more expensive model because the council dictated they should consume carbon to do so."

Mr True added that the current system had encouraged residents to turn their front gardens into driveways and, in some cases, to use their cars more by moving them to avoid tax.

The proposed system would see motorists pay between £40 per year for a quarter day and £90 for a full day, regardless of the vehicle they drive. The Tories are planning only the minimum amount of consultation required by law, claiming their election victory has given them a mandate to make the changes, which were part of their manifesto.

Councillor Jerry Elloy, opposition spokesman for transport, said: "Many residents with an environmental conscience will be shocked that the Conservatives, who claim to care about the environment and promised to consult on all transport measures, are dismantling such a ground-breaking green policy without consultation."

He also questioned the cost of the proposal, which is mainly down to lost revenue, at a time when the council is already feeling the brunt of a £900,000 cut in government funding.

The benefits, or otherwise, of the existing scheme have been hotly debated.

The proportion of permits issued to owners of low-emission cars (bands A-C) has increased from 24.5 per cent in 2007 to 32.1 per cent.

However, the Conservatives argue this fall echoes changes in car ownership across the country and is down to a number of other factors, including changes to vehicle excise duty and fuel duty, as well as the car scrappage scheme.

Rod Kebble, one of the founders of campaign group Richmond Residents Against the Proposed Parking Permit Tax (RRAPPeT), welcomed the proposed change.

"The existing scheme was badly thought-out from the start and there's no evidence it's had the desired impact," said the 64-year-old cartoonist, of Church Avenue, East Sheen.

The proposals are due be debated by full council in September, following statutory consultation, before they can take effect.